Use Color Consistently

Color should be used as a cognitive and an aesthetic tool throughout the design of a text, not as an afterthought. When applied indiscriminately, color becomes distracting. However, when distinct colors are limited to the development of clarity and consistency—that is, when each color has a meaning—then color serves to organize ideas within the text. Readers will assume that elements of the same color are categorically related, whether they are on a single page or separated by several pages. Color memory is quite limited, however, with short-term capacities ranging from only 3 to 7 colors.